Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A stunning example of New World Syrah, the 2013 Gramercy Cellars The Deuce Syrah shows outstanding depth without sacrificing finesse. This wine showcases a full range of the grape variety's beautiful nuances—red fruit, mineral, violets, tapenade, and white pepper. Pair this memorable wine with braised goat meat. (Tasted: August 1, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Formerly called the Walla Walla Syrah, the 2013 Syrah The Deuce comes mostly from the Les Collines vineyard, yet also incorporates smaller amounts from Forgotten Hills and The Rocks vineyards. Aged 18 months in 10% new Puncheons, this sees slightly more whole clusters than the Columbia Valley Syrah, with almost 60% of the grapes fermented with no destemming. It has a lot of Rocks character in its meaty, pepper, lavender, olive and black and blue fruit-driven bouquet. This is followed by a full-bodied, concentrated and balanced Syrah that has solid tannic grip and good acidity. It will benefit from short-term cellaring and drink well for a decade after that.
Range: 92-94 -
Wine Enthusiast
The herb, violet, red fruit and mineral aromas start out light, with earth, smoked meat and black pepper notes lurking in the background. The fruit and savory flavors coat the palate with a pillowy soft texture, displaying an exquisite sense of balance. It's hard to put the glass down but a grilled peppercorn steak pairing demands it.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.